The Madness Within
by StrifeMillions
Summary: This is a Soul Eater fanfic with a Tsubaki x Maka pairing (also Soul x Black Star, possibly Stein x Marie, Kim x Jacqueline, Crona x Liz, Patty x Kid and a few others, but I probably won't go into them much). This diverges quite a bit from canon.
1. Enough! - Part 1

_I'm assuming Maka has all the abilities thus far chronicled in the manga and anime. This means she has the Grigori soul and that she should theoretically be able to fly on her own because she is a weapon too. She's also destroyed Asura, but there are other kishin too. As such, because of her abilities, she's been made a three star meister well before time, and is being sent on dangerous missions to further develop her abilities. But, all the stress, and the weight of expectations is taking a great toll on the teenager and she's just about had enough. The first few chapters will be mostly flashbacks, to try and give a bit of background. I'll probably use this device a lot as the story goes as well._

_Many characters may seem inconsistent with the manga/anime, but I introduced a 2 year time skip right at the start, and well, things change._

_Oh, and I've used Grim Reaper, Lord Death and Shinigami-sama interchangeably._

- Enough! Part 1 -

Maka was at the end of her tether. She had had enough. Enough of the missions, enough of being overworked to the point of tears, enough of fighting witches, monsters, Arachnophobia, and fighting her own all consuming madness.

It had been over two years since Maka had stopped Asura, the kishin. They had all believed he was the only kishin. But, he wasn't. He had shown her before he had perished, that aleast three others existed, and that she would replace him one day. She'd thought he was trying to play with her head, but she knew he was at least partially right when she confronted Shinigami-sama with what he had shown her, and the Grim Reaper's silence had been enough to confirm it.

And then, she'd discovered she had a Grigori soul, and that, coupled with all the other rare abilities she possessed, had made her even more important in the eyes of Shinigami, in their seemingly never ending battle to bring order to the chaos of the world.

And so, Maka had been sent on missions, paired up the different Death Scythes of the DWMA. Though, credit to the Grim Reaper, he had always sent someone along to watch over her, most commonly Professor Stein and Marie. Marie had always been sent along, and Maka had only recently realized why. Twice, during the last two years, Maka had almost fallen to the madness, just as Stein had before. Once, she had been with Yumi Azusa, and the other time, she had been paired with Spirit Albarn, her father. Both times, Marie had had to step in to save her with her Healing Wavelength, before Maka completely succumbed to it.

It hadn't been all bad, though. One good thing about the previous two years had been finding love in Tsubaki's arms. Tsubaki had finally become a death scythe and had separated from Black Star to be at Lord Death's disposal. That meant that they had been paired up on a few occasions. Thinking of her girlfriend…no, her soulmate always made Maka happy.

She knew that she had become extremely withdrawn, pessimistic, emotionless and cold ever since the destruction of Asura. Her friends had all noticed it, and they'd commented on it, but they knew as well as her, that it was not her fault, not really…But, somehow, Tsubaki had been able to prevent her from becoming completely apathetic and shut off. Maka certainly wasn't the same bright, friendly teenager she had been two years ago, but vestiges of that girl remained. And, she had been improving. She felt happier than she had in a long time.

She reflected on the events that had brought them together. It had happened when Giriko of Arachnophobia had ambushed her on that day, about three months ago.

_-Flashback—_

_Tsubaki and Maka were walking back home from a late night at school. Of late, Maka found herself avoiding Tsubaki more and more; she was afraid of the reaction her body seemed to have when it was in close proximity to the death scythe. It felt a lot like how love originated in all those romance novels she read once in a while._

_The problem had been compounded by the fact that they had become flatmates ever since Black Star and Soul had come out of the closet with their relationship. Maka had been the one to suggest they move in together, something that she regretted doing now, three months later._

_-Flashback within a flashback-_

_It had been a long day for Maka. Yumi and Spirit had been trying to help her gain control over her weapon form. They had made progress, but with everything else Maka was being put through, it hadn't been nearly as fast as they wanted. Her instructors had smiled and encouraged her as much as they could, but Maka felt like she was failing them. So, they'd let her off early, to get some rest, re-energize for the next day._

_On the way out, she had run into Tsubaki, who, being the kind-hearted girl she was, offered to go along with Maka to her house. Maka had gratefully acquiesced – she liked Tsubaki; she was easy to resonate with as a weapon. She enjoyed going on missions with her, even more so than Soul, her original weapon._

_They talked of various things on their way to Maka's apartment, which was on the way to where Tsubaki lived with Black Star. Maka opened the door and entered the living room, Tsubaki following, as she had decided to stay for a spot of tea. They stopped at the entrance, Tsubaki shocked and Maka mildly surprised by what they saw._

_Black Star and Soul locked in a firm embrace, kissing passionately._

_Maka, who'd always sort of suspected this, was the first to react. She asked, "Soul, Black Star. What do you guys want? Tea, coffee or hot chocolate?", and went into the small kitchen._

_She called, "Tsubaki, would you mind helping me out? And you two haven't told me what you want yet." Tsubaki walked into the kitchen._

_Soul and Black Star stood there, shell shocked. Soul recovered enough to say, "Er, yeah, hot chocolate for me…and Black Star too."_

_"Cool, we'll be out in just a moment."_

_Soon, Maka and Tsubaki came out holding two cups each and set it on the table. Soul and Black Star hadn't moved an inch._

_Maka calmly took a seat at the table, Tsubaki next to her. She looked over to them._

_"Well, the hot chocolate's gonna get cold, guys. You planning on moving from there at all?"_

_Soul and Black Star slowly made their way to the table._

_There was an uncomfortable silence while they sipped their drinks._

_Eventually, Soul said, "Look, about this…"_

_Maka waved her hand. "There's no need to explain, Soul. You and Black Star are together. It's good. I won't tell anyone. And I'm certainly not gonna judge you two. Love is love – as long as you're happy, it doesn't matter who you find it in."_

_Tsubaki remarked, "My sentiments are similar. Though, I'd advise you guys to come out of the closet. It's not good to keep this stuff hidden, and well, you have nothing to fear, really. Soul's a death scythe, and Black Star's a two star meister. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."_

_Something suddenly seemed to strike Maka. "Yeah, and if you guys wanna move house so you can be together, I'd be open to that…you guys can be closer too."_

_Tsubaki considered this and nodded. "I'd be fine with it too…the rent's are almost the same and it'd just be a straight swap."_

_"How about the kitty-cat?", chimed in a new voice. Blair._

_"You're mine, of course", said Maka, grinning, a rare occurrence these days. Blair immediately jumped on to Maka's head and said, "Okay. Blair will go wherever Maka goes."_

_"So, what about it?", asked Maka._

_Soul and Black Star seemed overwhelmed. Where they'd been expecting a cold reaction from their friends, they'd instead gotten a better reception to their situation than they could have ever dreamed. Maka and Tsubaki accepted them, and were even offering to let them be closer._

_Both of them cried tears of joy, and jumped toward the two girls meaning to hug them. Maka and Tsubaki smartly moved their chairs sideways so that the two boys landed in a heap on the floor. Maka commented, "Yup. That ain't happening." Tsubaki nodded, agreeing. They continued drinking their tea._

_"Of course, you guys will be doing the moving", said Maka._

_"And, if you dare break any of our stuff, we'll subject you to torture so horrible that you'll be begging us to murder you within the hour", added Tsubaki, nonchalantly._

_Soul and Black Star nodded happily and embraced each other. Tsubaki and Maka looked at each other and shared a smile._

_-End of flashback within a flashback-_

_Tsubaki and Maka decided to take a shortcut through a dark alleyway. Just as they entered the path, Giriko had attacked them with his chainsaw legs. Tsubaki had gotten hurt in trying to shield her from harm, just as Soul had before, when they'd fought Crona and Ragnarok._

_Of course, she hadn't been that badly injured, but Maka had been blinded with rage to see blood drip from the nasty looking gash Tsubaki had been given on her side. She had given herself to her rage so completely that she went into her weapon form and brutally assaulted Giriko, cutting off his chainsaw legs with two quick slashes._

_"Not so tough, now, are you?" said Maka, mockingly._

_Giriko had growled in anger, "You BITCH. I'll kill you and then I'll ravish your hot little girlfriend there before I kill her too."_

_Maka felt inordinately angry at the threat. She felt the intensity of her rage mount. "You are gonna pay for that, you bastard…and nobody threatens MY girlfriend like that…"_

_And she'd lopped off his hands. "So, how do you plan on carrying out your plan now, huh?"_

_Giriko yelped in pain – he couldn't move, he was limbless, and Maka had used a technique that prevented him from regenerating immediately. Maka spat at him._

_And, then she commented, "Hmpf. Foul mouthed assholes like you aren't worth my time. You aren't even worth a burial, so I think I'll just rip your body apart."_

_So saying, she slashed Giriko at lightning speed, seemingly energized by his screams of agony._

_ She then ate his evil soul, and turned back to look at Tsubaki, who wore an expression of horror._

_"That's a wrap", Maka had commented, and then she had giggled, similar to the way she giggled when she'd been in the thrall of the black blood passed on to her by Soul and Crona. Then, her adrenaline gave out, and she collapsed, exhausted._

_She woke up in her room the next morning, a cold towel on her forehead. She knew it was morning because of the sunlight streaming in through the window. She felt extremely tired. She realized that her head was on someone's lap. Tsubaki. So, she'd watched over her through the night. Maka felt a well of regret rising up within her. She wasn't worthy of this sort of affection, not after her actions the previous day with Giriko. Tsubaki had looked so scared._

_"You're awake! How do you feel?", asked a worried voice. Tsubaki, nice as always, kind concern shining through._

_Maka started crying. She'd been feeling funny around her new flatmate of late, and she didn't know what it was. That, and finding herself in her lap, plus the events of the previous night, and the general way her life was going – it was all too much for her, and the way Tsubaki had just looked at her, it had been the final straw. All her frustration, her anger, her sadness, everything just poured out in one unstoppable torrent, and all Maka could do was sob as it overtook her._

_Tsubaki immediately lifted her up and hugged her, rocking back and forth."It's okay now, Maka…Everything's gonna be alright."_

_Maka smelt Tsubaki and found that she liked the scent. Too much for it to be healthy. It calmed her down, somehow. Just as she realized this, her eyes went wide with horror. She flew off the sofa, away from Tsubaki and landed on the floor._

_"Stay away from me, Tsubaki…I'm dangerous…You don't want…to be near me…and I'd never forgive myself if I did anything…" Maka put her head in her hands and curled up into a ball, crying softly. Tsubaki ran to her side, uncurled her and lifted her up on her shoulder. She carried Maka to her bedroom, and put her down there, quickly pinning her arms in to the side, and straddling her._

_"Now, Maka…Tell me what's bothering you. I won't leave until you do."_

_Maka looked at Tsubaki, and the situation they were in. Her heart started beating faster. She started breathing heavily and broke the gaze, turning to face away to the right, struggling weakly against Tsubaki._

_"Maka, no point in struggling. You're weak, and I'm heavier than you. Now, tell me what's wrong", she said gently._

_Maka didn't look at her. Finally, she said, in a distant voice, "Yesterday, I terrified you with how I treated Giriko…I don't know what came over me, but nothing can ever come close to explaining or justifying what I did…I'm disgusting – I'm becoming exactly what I'm supposed to be fighting against, and I can feel it, I'm almost at my limit…Soon, the madness will take over, and when that happens, I don't know what I'll do…if I ever hurt anyone, especially Tsubaki-chan, I'd hate myself, and I'll probably become a kishin like Asura said I was meant to…Just like the weakling that I am."_

_Tsubaki suddenly slapped Maka. Maka turned to look at Tsubaki, surprised. Tsubaki seemed almost in tears. "When did you become like this, Maka? Why? You're the strongest among all of us – we may not say it out loud, but it's what we all truly believe. You have so many unique abilities, and you've achieved so much already, I mean, come on, the youngest three-star meister ever? And you were the one who defeated the kishin. And we all know how hard they're working you at the academy. If it'd been anyone else, they would have broken down long ago, but you just keep enduring it. You've become so cut-off, withdrawn…and it makes me so sad, Maka. It makes all of us so sad…Why are you doing this to yourself, Maka? I see you bottling it all up and being brave, and it makes my heart ache with sadness. You can trust me, you know…I just feel so sad that you don't let me help you, that I can't seem to do anything to let me help you…"_

_Tsubaki trailed off, tears streaming down her face. Maka used her free left hand to wipe Tsubaki's tears. "Don't cry, Tsubaki. I'm sorry; it's not your fault, its mine."_

_Tsubaki slapped Maka again. "I told you, nothing is your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself, Maka Albarn. You're not alone…can't you see?"_

_Maka felt herself get inordinately angry. "What am I supposed to do then, huh? I can't undo what I did yesterday, what you saw me do. I can't become the same girl I used to be before, it's just not possible. Things have changed so much…", she shouted._

_"Yes, Maka. Things have changed. Things will keep changing. But, you need to rely on other people more, trust them more…Or did you forget what you told Giriko yesterday?" Tsubaki looked at Maka, something like hope and longing in her gaze._

_Maka frowned at Tsubaki. She replayed the events in her mind. Then, she realized what Tsubaki meant. Could she really have meant that though? Her eyes widened, a fact Tsubaki not unnoticed by Tsubaki. "Ah, so you do remember! I'd have preferred a proper confession and all, but I guess that'll do." So saying she bent down and lightly kissed Maka on her lips. It was a gentle kiss, much like the girl who initiated it, but Maka could feel the love and affection and concern shining through the all-too-brief contact._

_Something seemed to occur to Tsubaki. "Of course, if you still want to, that is…", she said, slightly apologetic._

_"Want to what exactly, Tsu-ba-ki-chan?", asked Maka, smiling impishly. For the first time in a while, she felt happy. The anguish she had felt just moments before had evaporated the moment Tsubaki had kissed her. She felt energized, somehow, that her feelings of affection, the feelings she had buried so deep, much like her frustration and anger at life, were returned._

_Tsubaki flushed slightly. "Come on, don't tease me, Maka. You were the one who suggested it."_

_Maka laughed, and it was a genuine laugh of joy. Tsubaki felt warm for having caused it, for having made Maka happy. "All, right ,Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, I am a screwed up idiot who had the misfortune of being born with a lot of random abilities that people more important than me think makes me important. I'm moody, I'm withdrawn, I'm cold, and most times, I'm emotionally distant. I'm so close to being broken it isn't funny. But, despite all that, I love you. Somehow, thinking of you lets me keep it together when I'm at my lowest, and being able to protect you from that bastard yesterday, and confessing at the same time, just gave this past few months of struggle some kinda meaning. So, if you'll have me, I'd like to be your girlfriend." Maka looked at Tsubaki, slightly breathless._

_Tsubaki closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were shining with barely contained happiness. She cleared her throat and replied, "Maka Albarn, I've always admired you. Ever since I met you the first time at the DWMA, I looked up to you, because you were always so cool, top of the class, popular with everyone. I guess I got closer to you because of all those times we had to team up to find our esteemed partners when they were getting into trouble or just being the self centered asses they were. I wished so many times that you could be my meister, but then when you said that it was good in a way that we had started out with difficult partners because it would mean we could then partner with anyone else easily later on, I realized that you were right, just like you always were. And you supported me through thick and thin, became my very best friend. Then, after all the stuff that happened with the kishin, they put so much pressure on you, expected so much from you. But, you still remained strong, and you didn't push us away despite your pain. And that's when I started to have these feelings for you...as more than a friend. I was so much happier than I had any right to be, when Soul and Black Star moved in together, because it meant I could be with you, get closer to you, support you when you needed me to…yesterday, I'll admit you scared me, but it was a good kind of scared, you know. You did what you did to protect me, and my heart just went into overdrive when you called me your girlfriend, and I thought, maybe I had a chance with you…So, thank you, Maka, for being you…and I would like to be your girlfriend, if you'll have me."_

_Tsubaki stopped, slightly breathless. She realized that she was still straddling Maka. Maka realized it the same time as her. Tsubaki shifted to sit at the edge of the bed, and said, "I'm sorry, Maka…For slapping you and for…you know…you were tired, and I was thoughtless."_

_Maka got up and turned Tsubaki to her. "This girl welcomes your uncharacteristic thoughtlessness, Tsubaki-chan." She smiled and leaned in to kiss her. Tsubaki moved toward her almost at the same time. Their lips met halfway in a delicate kiss. It was slow and languid, and peaceful. Much like the two felt, after finally confessing what had been on both their minds so long, causing them no end of tension. To finally have it resolved, it just felt so good, so right._

_They broke away from each other reluctantly to breathe. Maka suddenly felt tired, her exhaustion again catching up with her. She said, "Tsubaki-chan. If you don't mind, I'd like to rest for a while. I'm still kinda tired…"_

_Tsubaki looked at her, concerned. "Of course, Maka-chan, anything you need. Yesterday took a lot out of you…Suddenly changing to weapon form and defeating Giriko, you expended a lot of energy. You really shouldn't do stuff like that…", she said._

_Maka replied, "Well, it's a good thing I'll have my girlfriend's arms to wake up to then, the next time that happens…I don't think you know what you've signed up for, Tsubaki-chan, but I really do hope you'll take responsibility", with a slight smile._

_Tsubaki immediately pushed Maka on the bed and crawled up next to her. She pulled the blankets over them and hugged Maka tight. She whispered into her ear, "Yes, Maka-chan. I'm fully aware of how much trouble you are. And, I don't care. I'll always be here for you, though I will get pissed off if you go do something like that again and get yourself killed."_

_Maka said softly, "I won't forgive myself either. I've finally found happiness, and I want to experience it…all of it…with you. So, I don't plan on dying anytime soon. You're stuck with me, I'm afraid…And don't you dare leave me alone now."_

_Tsubaki gently ran her hand over Maka's cheek. "I'm too comfortable right now to even think of moving. Besides, I'm right where I want to be, by my girlfriend's side."_

_Maka searched for Tsubaki's hand and took it. They crossed their fingers and simply lay there, side-by-side, two great friends who loved each other, together at last._

_-End of Flashback-_

Maka sighed. She'd have to ask Tsubaki what to do. She couldn't go on like this…


	2. Rationalization - Part 1

_Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I'm about to graduate from university, assuming I pass everything this past semester and the administrative stuff is being a slight bit irritating._

_Anyway, Lord Death's been acting weird the last two years, especially in regards his treatment of Maka, but it's not just restricted to her alone. By overworking the younger meisters and promoting them faster than the norm that had been set down, he's created a climate of negativity that pervades the school in general, and our heroes in particular._

_Stein, being the brilliant (and caring?) man that he is, has decided he wants answers. He gets them, surprisingly enough, but the manner of delivery raises more questions._

_Anyhow, please review and provide feedback. This is somewhat uncharted territory after all :D_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater :)_

-Rationalization – Part 1-

Dr. Franken Stein stood calmly, looking over the rails, on the terrace of his house. Or his lab? Maybe it was the same thing. He took a drag on his lit cigarette. He was deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts, Stein?", asked a voice from behind. Stein's partner and for some time, his girlfriend, Marie Mjolnir was walking toward him.

Stein smiled. Marie was one of the very few people he knew who defined him by more than his madness. Where most people - even his students generally considered him a mad scientist of sorts, the sort you read about in little children's books, Marie understood him, his need to rationalize everything, his obsession to experiment. There were very few people who did. Some who didn't, like Spirit Albarn, ran away. Though, Kami understood. As did her daughter, Maka. In the end, in the grand scheme of things, maybe it was good that Spirit got away when he did. Maka was a most interesting girl.

Stein frowned. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who thought so. Many people were interested in Maka Albarn, and not as an individual, but as a tool. Recently, he'd started questioning Lord Death's actions concerning his (favorite?) student. Just the same day, they'd found out about Justin Law's fall from grace. And Lord Death had given the mission to terminate him to Maka alone. Which meant she'd have to use her own weapon form. Essentially, it was a match-up of a death scythe with no meister and a 3-star meister who was also a death scythe.

Maka had collected her hundred corrupted souls in record time – just under forty days. And the witch soul that had completed her as a death scythe came from Shaula Gorgon. Oddly fitting, considering that she had defeated Arachne to help Soul collect his requisite witch soul, and that she had also defeated Medusa, though Medusa still lived, her whereabouts unknown to everyone. Of course, there was also the conviction amongst the remnants of Arachnophobia that their queen spider was not dead. Stein didn't really know if it was possible that Arachne was still alive, what with her soul inside Soul Eater Evans and all, but then again, the working and effects of the weapon gene was something that not even its originators knew everything about.

Of course, Tsubaki would accompany Maka. That was almost a given in the present time. Probably for all the future times as well. Those two girls were inseparable. And Stein had been assigned to watch over her. With Marie.

Stein wondered what would happen when a death scythe ate the soul of another death scythe whose soul had been corrupted. It definitely couldn't be the same as what would normally happen. He was sure Lord Death had some inkling to the answer. However, he didn't hold his breath in anticipation of receiving a straight reply from the man. Or lord?

Marie reached into Stein's pocket and took out a cigarette for herself. She lit it up and took a deep pull from it. Stein sighed. He was pretty sure Marie hadn't taken up smoking before she'd gotten together with him.

She heard his sigh and looked at him questioningly.

"Your smoking habit…You didn't smoke before, did you?", he asked.

She considered him briefly and gave a chuckle. "Why, Stein? Worried you're responsible for your girlfriend's bad habit?" Stein looked away, blushing slightly. He still hadn't gotten used to Marie calling herself his 'girlfriend'. Sure, they were in a consenting emotional relationship. For all intents and purposes, he needed her more than she needed him. Probably. Still, to Stein, this was entirely new. Marie was his first 'girlfriend' and well, he had no idea what sort of 'coupley' things couples did.

Maria laughed, before continuing, "And don't worry, I don't smoke that many. Admittedly, it is slightly higher than before, but way less than you and Spirit…you should know…I always filch em off your stores anyway."

Stein nodded. Marie smiled and asked him again, "So what are you thinking about?"

Stein took a deep drag off his cigarette and said, "The usual. Lord Death's continuing run of bizarreness. There's something brewing, Marie. Something only our good principal knows about…and I don't like it one bit."

Marie looked thoughtful, and replied, "Hmm, I will admit the last two years or so have been unusual. Ever since I got here to help fight Arachne, and the kishin."

Stein shook his head. "It isn't that simple… After Maka defeated the kishin, you would have thought the world would return to some semblance of a state of normalcy. Instead, you suddenly have a much larger incidence of corrupted souls. You see Arachne still continuing their activities, and well, now, a death scythe goes bad too…Justin never had a meister, and in a way, that may have proven his downfall…But that's beside the point. This doesn't feel right, Marie. And Maka is right in the middle of all this. As a scientist, as someone who experiments, I would like to see how this all pans out. But somehow, I feel like this is the calm before a major shitstorm. Some major shifting of scales in the world and it could go either way…I'm not somebody who gets worried over a gut feeling in normal course. I'm not supposed to, I am after all, a man of science and deduction. But this time, it's just so…tangible."

Stein looked over at Marie, who slipped her free arm in his. She smiled at him. "Don't worry. It'll work out in the end. Maka will pull through, no matter what. And she has Tsubaki, Soul, Black Star, Kid, Liz and Patty, Crona and the others too – Jacquie, Kim and Kilik, and all the rest. They're good kids. They will find a way. We just need to be there to protect them and maybe guide them every once in a while. That's what we're here for, isn't it?"

"What we're here for…As teachers, our first responsibility is to the students…Thank you, Marie. It's so much clearer now…" Stein muttered.

Marie pouted. She didn't like it much when Stein got like this. Muttering under his breath, working things out in his head. Rationalizing. She knew it was an important process for him, but the fact that she could not really be involved in it dismayed her a little.

Stein suddenly looked at her, smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her pouting lips. "Thank you, Marie. I don't know why you bother with me, but I'm glad that you do."

Marie smiled gently and replied, "I bother because I care. It's just the way I am, and I don't wanna leave anytime soon, so you're just stuck with me, aren't you."

Stein nodded and released her. They stood in a companionable silence, continuing to smoke their cigarettes. Somehow, they'd managed not to burn each other during the last exchange.

Stein suddenly said, "I'm going to ask Lord Death exactly what's up with all that's happened recently. Maka is overworked, but it isn't just her. Black Star, Kid, Jacqueline, Crona…they're all being sent out way too much. And they never go alone – there's always a senior meister sent along. That suggests the our good principal expects something to happen."

Marie commented, "He'll probably not give you a straight answer. He isn't human like us, Stein. He doesn't work the way we do. You know that."

"Yes, but he expects humans like us to do his bidding. You know, they say the children with the weapon gene were originated through Arachne's experiments, which were themselves conceptualized by Eibon and Death. What about the meisters? There has to be something there too…Not everyone can be a meister, after all…you need exceptional soul wavelengths, and I refuse to believe it is just coincidence. In addition, animals can be meisters too…It maybe a mutation - that would be the most likely explanation."

Marie drew Stein in for a gentle kiss. "You think too much. But, it's just one of the reasons I love you." So saying, she left Stein, speechless on the balcony, frozen with shock.

This was the first time Marie had admitted her love for him, albeit indirectly. "Love, seriously? Damn…those chemicals must be working overdrive in her head…she's a woman, so I guess they're more effective…I wonder, though, which chemical was that again…What the hell? Why am I worried about the chemical. She said she loved me. Even my parents never said that to me. I wonder if they did...What the hell! That doesn't matter…My girlfriend loves me. Now, how do I react, hmm…Do I feel the same?" Stein realized that he probably did. That set his mind working at an even more furious pace.

"Should I tell her the next time I see her? How do I deal with this? Will Maka know? Will Spirit know? No, I trust Maka, not that good-for-nothing father of hers. I'll ask Maka. Or Tsubaki. Either one…"

Marie called out, "You know, you'll say it naturally when you're ready for it. I know this is difficult for you, but don't over-think it so much, my dear" and laughed. To Stein, it was a beautiful sound.

Stein put his hand in his head. "Damn that woman! Maka, you better have answers!", he thought, frantically.

He went down to his lab after a quarter hour, still struggling with the thoughts in his head.

-0-

"Ah, Stein. You're back…to ask for answers, no doubt…", said Lord Death.

"Most certainly. And this time, I will leave if I don't get them…", said Stein.

"Really? I don't think you will…You care about your students too much. You don't show it, but you do. And there's Marie, too", said the Shinigami, rather smugly.

Stein sighed, taking a drag from his ever-present lit cigarette. At least, it had become a theme in recent meetings with the principle of the DWMA. Stein felt like he was trying to get through an unyielding brick wall, and found that the neural agents in the nicotine sticks helped him through these rather trying encounters. "Of course. Being human. Feeling kinship. It is a weakness when trying to ask answers of a being that exceeds our kind, which controls us for their own ends…"

Lord Death suddenly growled. He seemed angry. "Exceeds your kind? Controls you? A man as smart as you should have understood by now, Professor. My kind, as you call it - we maybe more powerful than humans in general. However, that does not mean we exceed them. Our task was to bring order, to control the evil, the chaos in the world, but it only brought more problems. We failed, and I'm only doing what I believe is the way to right the scales. We interfered, our solution didn't work, and I'm trying to set it right…That is all I've ever tried to do."

Stein took a drag on his cigarette. He had planned to be as confrontational as possible during the meeting. He wanted answers, and he was willing to push Lord Death. It seemed he was making headway.

He said, "The solution? You mean the great legendary warriors of old? And whose solution was it?"

"That is something I cannot reveal. Not yet at any rate…But, recently I have felt like a betrayal looms. It is as good a time as any to imbue the memories that need to be triggered."

Stein raised his eyebrows. "You seemed to have gone off on a tangent, sir."

"No, Stein. I will need to imbibe you with memories. The answers you seek. And you will explain it all to the ones who come after. This information will trigger only if certain conditions are satisfied. And I fear you will be able to access them all too soon…"

So saying, Lord Death appeared at Stein's back and knocked him out, cold. He put up a wall to obscure the two of them, ensuring that they remained unseen by everybody. And gave Stein the memories that would explain their solution to bring order, one that looked increasingly doomed to failure. Lord Death set the trigger for the memories. And what needed to be done if certain conditions were met.

The reason that Lord Death finally decided to perform this operation had to do with the report he had obtained from Sid and Nygus earlier in the day. What worried him more was the report he had obtained from Takame, the Hawk-Eye, one of his oldest associates. Recent developments worried him deeply. Enough to finally set in motion events that would protect those whom he believed to hold the key, those who he believed could succeed where he had failed. They needed to be protected so that they could become stronger, and have a chance at finding the solution that he hadn't found or been able to implement for almost a millennium. And Stein was an integral part of the puzzle.

-0-

Stein's head felt heavy. Like he'd just drunk a few tankards of beer and was waking up from a day-long sleep to shake off the hangover. Only, the hangover refused to be shaken off and he couldn't go back to sleep. He felt lousy. He looked around. It looked like…Lord Death's office.

Suddenly, he remembered bits of what had happened. The cryptic conversation he had shared with Lord Death, before suddenly, the lights had gone out.

"Ah, you're awake. It's earlier than I expected…", said a voice. The Shinigami.

"Yeah, what did you do to me?", asked Stein, scratchily. He still didn't feel particularly good.

"In due course…Here, take this", said Lord Death, holding out a flask containing a blue liquid.

Stein accepted it and regarded it with suspicion. "Go on, take a sip. It's not gonna kill you."

Stein unscrewed the cork and took a tentative sip. The liquid was spicy and sweet at the same time. It tasted of cloves, cinnamon, honey, ginger and oranges. An interesting concoction.

Its effect was immediate too. He felt energized, like a great weight had lifted off his head.

He held the flask out for Lord Death to take back. "Thank you, that surprisingly did the trick…" Lord Death accepted it with a "Told you so!", and he put it away.

"So, how long was I out?", asked Stein.

"About an hour", replied the Grim Reaper.

"Ah. That's good. I had a date with Marie. I won't have to miss it."

"Good…Do you feel any different?"

Stein experimentally flexed his muscles and stretched his back. "Er, not physically."

"How about your mind? Try recalling something from the past…", said Death.

"My mind…" Stein thought back to what had happened, tried remembering some of his childhood. Everything seemed fine, except he had a feeling that there was something he needed to remember, but couldn't. For the life of him, he didn't know what it was. It was something he knew, something that existed in his memory, and yet, it seemed…foreign.

He looked questioningly at Lord Death, and Lord Death nodded. "Yes, it may feel foreign. And to a man like you, I believe it will be a source of irritation. But, realize this…those memories I put into your mind, they are important – they have an inbuilt trigger, and they will hopefully answer most of your questions."

Stein considered the Grim Reaper. "The fact that you've gone to so much trouble to give me memories, and stored information in my head relating to the current situation, suggests that you won't be able to give me the explanation face-to-face. Why? Do you expect that something will happen to you? And what exactly is this trigger you speak of?"

The Shinigami sighed. "They're all there – in your head. And yes, I don't expect to be here in person to give you the explanation you seek…Now, could you send Maka and Tsubaki to my office…There is something I must give them as well…"

Stein had more questions, but realized he wouldn't get many answers. He nodded, and said, "Okay…I'll send the two of them up." So saying, he left the room.

Lord Death looked at the closed door, his mask sporting an expression resembling sadness. "I do not believe we will meet again, Professor Franken Stein. It was a pleasure…"

He went over to the pantry and set the kettle to boil, waiting for the arrival of his strongest young meister-weapon pair.

-0-

_Afterword: Okay, first off, I'm a big fan of solutions that focus on embracing the grey paths in the system. Because nothing is ever black and white, it is my firm opinion that only a grey solution can bring stability. That'll be a sort of recurring theme in this story (I expect). Anyhow, you can blame it on the RPGs I play, the books I read or the manga and anime I see and watch._

_Oh and don't pay much attention to my chapter naming convention. I don't know why I name them the way I do myself. This is 'Part 1' only because 'Part 2' of this particular chapter will involve Stein actually accessing the hidden memories. As such, it provides the 'rationalization' behind the existence of Lord Death, the DWMA and all that._

_Like I said, don't pay much attention to the chapter names!_

_Though, if you feel like it, you could leave a comment or send me a PM to suggest a good way to name chapters? I'm really not happy with the way I'm currently doing it (if anyone checks out my HOTD fic, you'll see most chapters are named after the location they occur in). Thanks!_


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